tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56542178945795038482014-10-02T21:50:11.345-07:00Chinese philosopherAll about Chinese philosopher, Chinese philosopher basic information.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-20445471378148297532008-09-22T05:53:00.001-07:002008-09-22T05:53:08.041-07:00Lu Ban<strong>Lu Ban</strong> was a carpenter, philosopher, military thinker, stateman and contemporary of Mozi, born in the State of Lu.<br />
<br />
His real name was <strong>Gongshu Ban</strong> , also known as the <strong>Master Gongshu</strong> , because he was from the State of Lu, he was most commonly referred to as <strong>Lu Ban</strong> from records. Lu Ban is well notable for his achievements after his subject to the State of Chu. <br />
<br />
According to the tradition, he was responsible for several inventions as seen on ''Mozi'' chapter 49 and 50: <br />
<br />
* Cloud ladder — a mobile counterweighted siege ladder. <br />
* Grappling hooks and ram — boat implements used during on a naval warfare.<br />
* Wooden bird — a non-powered flying wooden bird which could stay in the air for three days, and had been suggested to be a proto-kite.<br />
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There were also others inventions that contributed to him, such as lifting implement for burial, wooden horse carriage and coachman, and some other woodworking that can be see from various texts which thereafter led Lu Ban to be acknowledged as the master craftsman:<br />
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* The Book of Lineages , written in about 3rd century BC.<br />
* The Tales of the Marvellous , written in about 5th century by Ren Fang.<br />
* The Records of Origin on Things and Affairs , written in about 11th century by Gao Cheng.<br />
* The Origin on Things , written in about 15th century by Luo Qi. <br />
* The Treatise of Lu Ban , an attributed texts to Lu Ban written between to 15th century.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-85659279992898147302008-09-22T05:52:00.013-07:002008-09-22T05:52:58.393-07:00Liang Shuming<strong>Liang Shuming</strong> , born <strong>Liang Huanding</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Shouming</strong> , was a reformer in the late Qing Dynasty and early eras of Chinese history.<br />
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Born in , Liang was the son of a famous intellectual who committed suicide apparently in despair at the state of the Chinese nation. He had a modern education and exposure to Western writings.<br />
<br />
In 1917 he was recruited by Cai Yuanpei to the philosophy department of Beijing University, where he produced an influential book based on his lectures entitled ''Eastern and Western Cultures and their Philosophies'', which introduced some of the doctrines of modern neo-Confucianism. He also displayed the influence of Henri Bergson, then popular in China, as well as Buddhist Yogacara philosophy.<br />
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Regarding Western civilization as doomed to eventual failure, Liang did not advocate complete reform and adoption of Western institutions. He nonetheless believed that reform was needed to make China equal to the rest of the world. It was his view that the required prerequisites for these institutions did not exist in China, so they would not succeed if introduced. Instead, he pushed for change to socialism starting at the grassroots level. To this end, he founded the Shandong Rural Reconstruction Institute and helped to found the Democratic League. <br />
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Liang was famous for his critique of Marxist class theory, stating that, despite obvious disparities of wealth, Chinese rural society could not be unambiguously classified along class lines. One and the same family would commonly have some members among the "haves" and others among the "have-nots". The class struggle advocated by the Maoists would necessitate kinsmen attacking each other. <br />
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After the , he mediated disputes between the Communist and Nationalist parties. After the victory of the Communists in 1949, he was occasionally persecuted in ideological campaigns, but refused to admit any error. He died in Beijinguedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-65479719625538086412008-09-22T05:52:00.011-07:002008-09-22T05:52:51.554-07:00Li Zhi (Ming Dynasty)<strong>Li Zhi</strong> was a prominent Chinese philosopher, historian and writer in the late Ming dynasty. <br />
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<a name='Biography' id='Biography'></a><h2>Biography</h2><br />
He was born in Jinjiang, Fujian province, the descendant of a woman from which his seven generation grand father married. He is also often referred to by his courtesy name <strong>Zhuowu</strong> . <br />
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His philosophy was based upon the Neo-Confucianism. Strongly disagreeing with assimilating oneself to conventional behavior, Li Zhi tried to spread his ideas. He can be seen as influenced Wang Yangming , and he preached a form of moral relativism. However, he was ultimately jailed for his attempt to spread "dangerous ideas". He committed suicide in prison in 1602.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-83933771101452824662008-09-22T05:52:00.009-07:002008-09-22T05:52:43.496-07:00Li Si<strong>Li Si</strong> was the influential Prime Minister of the feudal state and later of the dynasty of , between 246 BC and 208 BC. A famous , he was also a notable calligrapher. Li Si served under two rulers: Qin Shi Huang, king of Qin and later First Emperor of China -- and his son, Qin Er Shi. A powerful minister, he was central to the state's policies, including those on military conquest, draconian centralization of state control, standardization of weights, measures and the written script, and persecution of Confucianism and opponents of Legalism. His methods of administration of China is seen by some as being an early form of totalitarianism.<br />
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<a name='Early Life' id='Early Life'></a><h2>Early Life</h2><br />
<br />
Li Si was originally from Shang Cai in the kingdom of . When he was young, he was a minor official in Chu. According to the ''Records of the Great Historian'', one day Li Si observed that rats in the restroom were dirty and hungry but the rats in the barnhouse were well fed. He suddenly realized that "the values of people are determined by their social status." He made up his mind to take up politics as his career, which was a common choice for scholars not from noble family during the Warring States Period. After having finished his education with the famous Confucian thinker Xun Zi, he moved to the most powerful state at that time - Qin and tried to advance his political career there.<br />
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<a name='Career in Qin' id='Career in Qin'></a><h2>Career in Qin</h2><br />
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During his stay in the state of Qin, Li Si became a guest of the prime minister Lu Buwei and got the chance to talk to the ruler of Qin - Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi Huang was impressed by Li Si's view of how to unify China. Having adopted Li Si's proposal, the ruler of Qin spent generously to lure intellects to the state of Qin and sent out assassins to kill important scholars in other states.<br />
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According to the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' , Li Si was responsible for the death of Han Fei. A minor prince in the state of Han, Han Fei was an excellent writer whose essays reached the attention of the king of Qin. When Qin made war on Han, Han Fei was dispatched as a diplomatic envoy to Qin. Li Si, who envied Han Fei's intellect, persuaded the Qin king that he could neither send Han Fei back nor employ him . As a result, Han Fei was imprisoned, and Li Si convinced him to commit suicide by poisoning. <br />
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According to Sima Qian, Li Si persuaded Qin Shi Huang to suppress intellectual dissent, and when Confucian scholars protested, 460 of them were buried alive. Li Si himself penned the edict in 214 BC which ordered widespread destruction of historical records and literature in 213 BC, including key Confucian texts, which he thought detrimental to the welfare of the state.<br />
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<a name='Death' id='Death'></a><h2>Death</h2><br />
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When Qin Shi Huang died while away from the capital, Li Si and the chief eunuch Zhao Gao suppressed the late emperor's choice of successor, caused the crown prince to commit suicide, and installed another prince, Qin Er Shi in his place. During the tumultuous aftermath, Zhao Gao convinced the new emperor to install his followers in official positions. When his power base was secure enough, Zhao Gao then had Li Si killed in 208 BC in a grisly manner -- being cut in half in public. Zhao Gao in turn was killed by Ziying in revenge for Gao's killing of Ziying's uncle Emperor Qin Er Shi.<br />
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Li Si is mentioned in Elias Canetti's novel: Auto-da-fe .<br />
<br />
<a name='Contributions' id='Contributions'></a><h2>Contributions</h2><br />
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A staunch believer in a highly bureacratic system, Li Si is considered to have been central to the efficiency of the state of Qin and the success of its military conquest. He was also instrumental in systemizing standard measures and currency in post-unified China. He further helped systemize the written Chinese language by promulgating as the imperial standard the small seal script which had been in use in the state of Qin all along. In this process, variant graphs within the Qin script were proscribed, as were variant scripts from the different regions which had been conquered. Contrary to popular belief, though, Li Si did not "invent" small seal script.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-60298933027406867252008-09-22T05:52:00.007-07:002008-09-22T05:52:36.448-07:00Li Shicen<strong>Li Shicen</strong> , born <strong>Li Bangfan</strong> , was a Chinese philosopher and of advanced philosophical journals of the May Fourth Movement ''Min Duo'' and ''Zhongguo Jiaoyu Zazhi'' . Li is best remembered as an exponent of the thought of Nietzsche, who was among the Western thinkers most influential in China in the early era.<br />
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Li Shicen belonged to circle of radical intellectuals and activists who emerged in Hunan in the early 20th century. Another was Mao Zedong. Li in fact had several contacts with Mao; as young men both wrote manuals on swimming, and Mao's later widely publicized exploit of swimming in the Yangtze River may be traced back to Li's inspiration.<br />
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Li produced a number of books and articles which are still read as expositions of Western philosophy, and are of value in understanding the reception of ideas in this era. ''Rensheng Zhexue'' was his longest published work. Li produced special issues of ''Min Duo'' devoted to a number of influential philosophers including Nietzsche, Bergson and Eucken. In the early 1920s, Li's circle of friends and acquaintances included Guo Moruo and Zhu Qianzhi. <br />
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Following a sojourn in Europe in the late 1920s, Li returned to China and announced that materialist dialectics was the "philosophy of the future." This conversion from neo-romanticism to Marxism was seen as a signal event at the time, and was a harbinger of many that were follow.<br />
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Prior to this he had been involved in scandal involving a female student. He published a ''Qingbian Wanzi Shu'' in response, and which expresses a neo-romantic philosophy typical of the era.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-47954924213814200852008-09-22T05:52:00.005-07:002008-09-22T05:52:28.958-07:00Li ShenzhiLi Zhenzhi was a prominent Chinese social scientist and public intellectual. For long a trusted spokesperson of the Chinese Communist Party, he rose to become Vice-President of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.<br />
<br />
Dismissed from this position for blunt criticisms of the regime, he emerged in the 1990s as a powerful critic of authoritarianism, and a prominent exponent of Chinese liberalism.<br />
<br />
His death in 2003, which had been preceded by a series of widely circulated professions of his liberal commitment, prompted an outpouring of adulatory writings, securing his posthumous status as a champion of intellectual freedom under difficult circumstances.<br />
<br />
From 1941 to 1945 Li studied economics in Beijing , and Shanghai . In November 1944, he participated in the Communist Party's secret "National Salvation Association of Democratic Youth."<br />
<br />
Formally joining the Party in 1948, he became international editor in chief and Deputy Director of the Xinhua News Agency and later served as Premier Zhou Enlai's diplomatic secretary. From late 1978 to early 1980, Li was a member of the International Issues Writing Group established by the Central Committee. Meanwhile, he accompanied party supremo Deng Xiaoping on his visit to the USA, serving as adviser to the delegation. <br />
<br />
He was transferred to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 1980 to set up the United States Research Institute, of which he was appointed Director in 1982.<br />
<br />
In 1985 he became a vice president CASS , retaining his directorship of the United States Research Institute. <br />
He was dismissed in 1990 due to blunt criticisms of the June Fourth events in Tiananmen, and took medical retirement in 1995.<br />
<br />
There has been controversy about Li's liberal-democratic credentials, focusing on his failure to completely break with the Communist Party. According to contemporary critics like Cao Changqing and Zhong Weiguang , he compares poorly with Eastern bloc liberals like Milovan ?ilas , or, in China, resolute non-collaborators like Chen Yinke and original, if tragically persecuted thinkers like Gu Zhun. <br />
<br />
Xu Youyu responded to this view that conditions for Chinese intellectuals had been considerably harsher than for East Europeans like Djilas; to be fair, Li should be placed in comparison with other committed but "enlightened" communists like and Yu Guangyuan.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-3568303252846281752008-09-22T05:52:00.003-07:002008-09-22T05:52:20.567-07:00Li Kui (legalist)<strong>Li Kui</strong> was an ancient Chinese government minister and court advisor to Marquis Wen of Wei in the state of . In 407 BC, he wrote the ''Book of Law'' , which was the basis for the codified laws of the and dynasties. It had a deep influence on state ministers of such as Shang Yang, who formulated the dogma and basis of the harsh Chinese philosophy of . Along with his contemporary Ximen Bao, he was given oversight in construction of canal and irrigation projects in the State of Wei.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-48607804471158862472008-09-22T05:52:00.001-07:002008-09-22T05:52:12.636-07:00Li Ao (philosopher)<strong>Li Ao</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Xizhi</strong> , was Chinese philosopher and prose writer of the Tang Dynasty. He was born in present-day , but some accounts relates he was from . After achieving the degree of Jinshi in 798, he joined the imperial bureaucracy and served in the history department at Changan. <br />
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In 809, he was assigned to the southern provinces and made the trip with his pregnant wife from Luoyang to Guangzhou over nine months. The course they took included the modern provinces of Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Guangdong. His record of the trip, the ''Lainan Lu'' , contains detailed descriptions of medieval southern China and is considered one of the earliest forms of the diary. <br />
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At the time of his death in , Li held the position of Governor of East Shannan Circuit . There is some debate about the year of his death. The ''Book of Tang'' gives the date of 841. While the Qing Dynasty historians, however, have argued that it should be 836.<br />
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Late imperial scholars regarded Li as the founder of one of the ten great schools of philosophy in the Tang and dynasties. As a philosopher, Li was heavily influenced by Buddhism and also the great neo-Confucian Han Yu. His extensive writings are preserved in the ''Liwengong Wenji'' . This work is presumably a later edition of the ten chapters of the ''Li Ao Ji'' as referenced in the ''New Book of Tang''. Some of the few poems he produced can also be found in the ''Quan Tang Shi'' .uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-23985348519069907092008-09-22T05:51:00.008-07:002008-09-22T05:52:03.498-07:00Jing Fang<strong>Jing Fang</strong> , born <strong>Li Fang</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Junming</strong> , was a , mathematician and astrologer born in present-day during the Han Dynasty . He was the first to notice how closely a succession of 53 just fifths approximates 31 octaves. This observation would much later lead to the discovery of 53 equal temperament in the seventeenth century. He was also an advocate of the theory that the light emanating from the spherical Moon was of sunlight.<br />
<br />
<a name='Life and career' id='Life and career'></a><h2>Life and career</h2><br />
According to the 3rd century historian Sima Biao, Jing Fang received an appointment as an official in the Bureau of Music under Emperor Yuan of Han . The historian Ban Gu wrote that Jing Fang was an expert at divination and making predictions from the hexagrams of the ancient ''Yijing''. and extended this method fivefold to a scale composed of 60 fifths, finding that after 53 new values became incredibly close to tones already calculated.<br />
<br />
He accomplished this calculation by beginning with a suitable large starting value that could be divided by three easily, and proceeded to calculate the relative values of successive tones by the following method:<br />
<br />
# Divide the value by three. <math>177147/3 = 59049</math><br />
# Add this value to the original. <math>177147 + 59049 = 226196</math><br />
# The new value is now equal to <math>4/3</math> of the original, or a perfect fourth, which is equivalent to a perfect fifth inverted at the octave. <br />
# Proceed now from this new value to generate the next tone; repeat until all tones have been generated.<br />
<br />
To produce an exact calculation, some 26 digits of accuracy would have been required. Instead, by rounding to about 6 digits, his calculations are within 0.0145 of exactness, which is a difference much finer than is usually perceptible. The final value he gave for the ratio between this 53rd fifth and the original was <math>177147 / 176776</math>.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-2520075208760139292008-09-22T05:51:00.007-07:002008-09-22T05:51:55.385-07:00Jin Yuelin<strong>Jin Yuelin</strong> was a Chinese philosopher and logician. He was born in Changsha, Hunan, attended Tsinghua University from 1911-1914, obtained Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University in 1920. In 1926, Jin founded the Department of Philosophy at Tsinghua University. <br />
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Among the first to systematically introduce modern logic into China, Jin also founded a new philosophical system combining elements from Western and Chinese philosophical traditions .<br />
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<a name='Works' id='Works'></a><h2>Works</h2><br />
* On Logic <br />
* On Logos <br />
* On Knowledgeuedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-29209195135201448872008-09-22T05:51:00.005-07:002008-09-22T05:51:48.299-07:00Ji Hu<strong>J. Hu</strong>, also known as Ji Hu, although his full name is unknown, was a philosopher, that lived during the Zhou Dynasty and he is quite unknown outside the region of Anhui. He was convinced that China will fall in darkness when "the water and the ground flow in the light".<br />
<br />
<a name='Biographical notes' id='Biographical notes'></a><h2>Biographical notes</h2><br />
J. Hu is believed to come from a family of poor farmers in Anhui, and since he was very young he showed an unusual intelligence and ambition. Owing to this, he married the daughter of a rich merchant and had a son with her, pretending that he was a powerful landowner. During some years he lived from her money, and he dedicated himself to his most beloved subject, philosophy. <br />
<br />
But his deception was eventually found out, and he was forced to escape to Hao, then the imperial capital. There, he tried to expose his revolutionary thoughts about life, which were brutally rejected. Soon he was poor again, and in his frustration he left the city, resolving to live as a hermit the rest of his life.<br />
<br />
He returned to his home town, where he dedicated all of his time to meditation. It is said that one day, while he was eating a bowl of rice given to him by a farmer, he reached enlightenment, and saw that his quest was pointless. In his words: "The only thing worth achieving is the end of the achievement itself: noble ignorance"<br />
<br />
Then he found his son and convinced him to become his disciple, who managed to bring more people to his father. His hermetic style was sometimes annoying to his more ignorant disciples, and one of them even left J. Hu blind with his own fingers, trying to make him abandon his philosophy. The old master supposedly said: "The fool cannot take the true eyes of truth, so the sage still can see the path" Over the years, most of his followers abandoned him.<br />
<br />
J. Hu died when his roof fell over him during a storm, alone and forgotten. The only records of his existence come from his son's notes. The exact date of his death is unknown, although he is believed to have lived between fifty or sixty years.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-52667452738486148912008-09-22T05:51:00.003-07:002008-09-22T05:51:40.227-07:00Huiyuan (Buddhist)<strong>Huiyuan </strong> was a Buddhist teacher who founded a monastery on Mount Lushan in Jiangxi province and wrote the text ''On Why Monks Do Not Bow Down Before Kings'' in 404 AD. He was born in Shanxi province but after a long life of Buddhist teaching he wound up in Hubei province, where he died in 416. Although he was born in the north, he would eventually move south to live within the bounds of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.<br />
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Huiyuan was posthumously named First Patriarch of the . His disciples included Huiguan , Sengji , and Faan .<br />
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<a name='Life' id='Life'></a><h2>Life</h2><br />
Huiyuan began studying Zhuangzi and Laozi at a young age, as well as the teachings of Confucius. However, at the age of 21 he was converted in Hebei Province by the Buddhist Dao An, who was a Chinese disciple of a Kuchan missionary. Hearing the sermons of Dao An convinced Huiyuan to "leave the family" and embark on a life of Buddhist teachings. Later, he lived at East Forest Temple at Mount Lushan. His teachings were various, including the vinaya , meditation , abhidharma and Prajna or wisdom. Besides his teaching and interaction with lay followers of the Buddhist faith, he also upheld a learned correspondence with the monk Kumarajiva.<br />
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In the year 402 he organized a group of monks and lay people into a Mahayana sect known as Pure Land Buddhism, the Pure Land being the western paradise of the buddha Amitabha.<br />
<br />
In the year 404, Huiyuan wrote a treatise ''On Why Monks Do Not Bow Down Before Kings''. This book symbolized his efforts to assert the political independence of Buddhist clergy from the courts of monarchic rulers. At the same time, it was a religious and political text that aimed to convince monarchs and Confucian-minded ministers of state that followers of Buddhism were ultimately not subversive. He argued that Buddhists could make good subjects in a kingdom due to their beliefs in retribution of karma and the desire to be reborn in paradise. Despite the Buddhists' reputation of leaving their family behind for a monastic life, Huiyuan stated "those who rejoice in the Way of the Buddha invariably first serve their parents and obey their lords."uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-26099421055376482352008-09-22T05:51:00.001-07:002008-09-22T05:51:31.954-07:00Hui Shi<strong>Hui Shi</strong> , or Huizi , was a Chinese philosopher during the Warring States Period. He was a representative of the School of Names , and is famous for ten paradoxes about the relativity of time and space, for instance, "I set off for today and came there yesterday." <br />
<br />
The philosophical writings of Hui Shi are no longer extant, but several Chinese classic texts refer to him, including the ''Zhan Guo Ce'', ''Lüshi Chunqiu'', '''', ''Xunzi'', and most frequently, the ''Zhuangzi''.<br />
<br />
Nine ''Zhuangzi'' chapters mention Hui Shi, calling him "Huizi" 26 times and "Hui Shi" 9 times. Chapter 33, which summarizes Warring States philosophies, contains all of the latter 9 references by name.<br />
Hui Shih was a man of many devices and his writings would fill five carriages. But his doctrines were jumbled and perverse and his words wide of the mark. His way of dealing with things may be seen from these sayings:<br />
<br />
"The largest thing has nothing beyond it; it is called the One of largeness. The smallest thing has nothing within it; it is called the One of smallness."<br />
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"That which has no thickness cannot be piled up; yet it is a thousand ''li'' in dimension."<br />
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"Heaven is as low as earth; mountains and marshes are on the same level."<br />
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"The sun at noon is the sun setting. The thing born is the thing dying."<br />
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"Great similarities are different from little similarities; these are called the little similarities and differences. The ten thousand things are all similar and are all different; these are called the great similarities and differences."<br />
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"The southern region has no limit and yet has a limit."<br />
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"I set off for Yueh today and came there yesterday."<br />
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"Linked rings can be separated."<br />
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"I know the center of the world: it is north of Yen and south of Yueh."<br />
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"Let love embrace the ten thousand things; Heaven and earth are a single body."<br />
<br />
"With sayings such as these, Hui Shih tried to introduce a more magnanimous view of the world and to enlighten the rhetoricians. <br />
<br />
Most of the other ''Zhuangzi'' passages portray Huizi as a friendly rival of Zhuangzi, an intellectual foil who argues the alternative viewpoint, or criticizes the Daoist perspective, often with moments of humor. The best known of the Zhuang-Hui dialogues concerns the subjectivity of happiness.<br />
<br />
Chuang Tzu and Hui Tzu were strolling along the dam of the Hao River when Chuang Tzu said, "See how the minnows come out and dart around where they please! That's what fish really enjoy!" <br />
<br />
Hui Tzu said, "You're not a fish - how do you know what fish enjoy?"<br />
<br />
Chuang Tzu said, "You're not I, so how do you know I don't know what fish enjoy?"<br />
<br />
Hui Tzu said, "I'm not you, so I certainly don't know what you know. On the other hand, you're certainly not a fish ? so that still proves you don't know what fish enjoy!"<br />
<br />
Chuang Tzu said, "Let's go back to your original question, please. You asked me how I know what fish enjoy ? so you already knew I knew it when you asked the question. I know it by standing here beside the Hao." <br />
<br />
According to these ancient Daoist stories, Zhuangzi and Huizi remained friendly rivals until death.<br />
Chuang Tzu was accompanying a funeral when he passed by the grave of Hui Tzu. Turning to his attendants, he said, "There was once a plasterer who, if he got a speck of mud on the tip of his nose no thicker than a fly's wing, would get his friend Carpenter Shih to slice it off for him. Carpenter Shih, whirling his hatchet with a noise like the wind, would accept the assignment and proceed to slice, removing every bit of mud without injury to the nose, while the plasterer just stood there completely unperturbed. Lord Yuan of Sung, hearing of this feat, summoned Carpenter Shih and said, 'Could you try performing it for me?' But Carpenter Shih replied, 'It's true that I was once able to slice like that but the material I worked on has been dead these many years.' Since you died, Master Hui, I have had no material to work on. There's no one I can talk to any more."uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-47564781316699074022008-09-22T05:50:00.006-07:002008-09-22T05:51:00.821-07:00Hu Shi<strong>Hu Shih</strong> , born <strong>Hu Hung-hsing</strong> , was a Chinese philosopher and essayist. His courtesy name was <strong>Shih-chih</strong> . Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese liberalism and language reform in his advocacy for the use of vernacular Chinese. He was also an influential Redology scholar.<br />
<br />
<a name='Biography' id='Biography'></a><h2>Biography</h2><br />
Hu was born in Shanghai to Hu Chuan and Feng Shundi . His ancestors were from . In January 1904, his family established an arranged marriage for Hu with Chiang Tung-hsiu , an illiterate girl with bound feet who was one year older than he was. The marriage took place in December 1917. Hu received his fundamental education in Jixi and Shanghai.<br />
<br />
Hu became a "national scholar" through funds appropriated from the Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program. On 16 August 1910, he was sent to study agriculture at Cornell University in the United States. In 1912 he changed his major to philosophy and literature. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he went to Columbia University to study philosophy. At Columbia he was greatly influenced by his professor, John Dewey, and Hu became Dewey's translator and a lifelong advocate of pragmatic evolutionary change. He returned to lecture in Peking University. During his tenure there, he received support from Chen Duxiu, editor of the influential journal ''New Youth'', quickly gaining much attention and influence. Hu soon became one of the leading and influential intellectuals during the May Fourth Movement and later the New Culture Movement. <br />
<br />
He quit ''New Youth'' in the 1920s and published several political newspapers and journals with his friends. His most important contribution was the promotion of vernacular Chinese in literature to replace Classical Chinese, which ideally made it easier for the ordinary person to read. The significance of this for Chinese culture was great -- as John Fairbank put it, "the tyranny of the classics had been broken".<br />
<br />
Hu was the Republic of China's to the United States of America between 1938 and 1942. He was recalled in September 1942 and was replaced by Wei Tao-ming, who had previously represented the ROC in Vichy France. Hu then served as chancellor of Peking University between 1946 and 1948, and later president of the Academia Sinica in Taipei, where he remained until his death by in at the age of 71. He was chief executive of the Free China Journal, which was eventually shut down for criticizing Chiang Kai-shek.<br />
<br />
Hu Shih's work fell into disrepute in mainland China until a 1986 article, written by Ji Xianlin , "A Few Words for Hu Shi", advocated acknowledging not only Hu Shih's mistakes, but also his contributions to modern Chinese literature. His article was sufficiently convincing to many scholars that it caused a re-evaluation of the development of modern Chinese literature and the role of Hu Shi.<br />
<br />
<a name='Writings' id='Writings'></a><h2>Writings</h2><br />
<br />
Unlike other figures of the Warlord Era in the Republic of China, Hu was a staunch supporter of just one main current of thought: pragmatism. Many of his writings used these ideas to advocate changes in China. <br />
<br />
Hu was well known as the primary advocate for the literary revolution of the era, a movement which aimed to replace scholarly classical Chinese in writing with the vernacular spoken language, and to cultivate and stimulate new forms of literature. In an article originally published in ''New Youth'' in January titled "A Preliminary Discussion of Literature Reform", Hu originally emphasized eight guidelines that all Chinese writers should take to heart in writing:<br />
<br />
#Write with substance. By this, Hu meant that literature should contain real feeling and human thought. This was intended to be a contrast to the recent poetry with rhymes and phrases that Hu saw as being empty.<br />
#Do not imitate the ancients. Literature should not be written in the styles of long ago, but rather in the modern style of the present era.<br />
#Respect grammar. Hu did not elaborate at length on this point, merely stating that some recent forms of poetry had neglected proper grammar.<br />
#Reject melancholy. Recent young authors often chose grave pen names, and wrote on such topics as death. Hu rejected this way of thinking as being unproductive in solving modern problems.<br />
#Eliminate old clichés. The Chinese language has always had numerous four-character sayings and phrases used to describe events. Hu implored writers to use their own words in descriptions, and deplored those who did not.<br />
#Do not use allusions. By this, Hu was referring to the practice of comparing present events with historical events even when there is no meaningful analogy. <br />
#Do not use couplets or parallelism. Though these forms had been pursued by earlier writers, Hu believed that modern writers first needed to learn the basics of substance and quality, before returning to these matters of subtlety and delicacy.<br />
#Do not avoid popular expressions or popular forms of characters. This rule, perhaps the most well-known, ties in directly with Hu's belief that modern literature should be written in the vernacular, rather than in Classical Chinese. He believed that this practice had historical precedents, and led to greater understanding of important texts.<br />
<br />
In April of , Hu published a second article in ''New Youth'', this one titled "Constructive Literary Revolution - A Literature of National Speech". In it, he simplified the original eight points into just four:<br />
<br />
#Speak only when you have something to say. This is analogous to the first point above.<br />
#Speak what you want to say and say it in the way you want to say it. This combines points two through six above. <br />
#Speak what is your own and not that of someone else. This is a rewording of point seven.<br />
#Speak in the language of the time in which you live. This refers again to the replacement of Classical Chinese with the vernacular language.<br />
<br />
<a name='Sample work' id='Sample work'></a><h2>Sample work</h2><br />
<br />
:"Don't You Forget"<br />
:<br />
<br />
:Son,<br />
:Over twenty years I taught you to love this country,<br />
:But God tell me how!<br />
<br />
:Don't you forget:<br />
:It's our country's soldiers,<br />
:That made your Aunt suicide in shame,<br />
:And did the same to Ah Hsing,<br />
:And to your wife,<br />
:And shot to death!<br />
<br />
:Don't you forget:<br />
:Who cut off your finger,<br />
:Who beat your father to a mess like this!<br />
:Who burned this village?<br />
:Shit! The fire is coming!<br />
:Go, for your own sake! Don't die with me!<br />
:Wait!<br />
<br />
:Don't you forget:<br />
:Your dying father only wished this country occupied,<br />
:By the Cossacks,<br />
:Or the Prussians,<br />
:Anyone!<br />
:Any life ever worse than -- this !?<br />
<br />
:Original poem: ""<br /><br />
<br />uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-59308226161899248582008-09-22T05:50:00.005-07:002008-09-22T05:50:52.228-07:00Zisi<strong>Zisi</strong> , born <strong>Kong Ji</strong> , was a Chinese philosopher. Zisi, who was the only grandson of Confucius, supposedly taught Mencius and wrote the ''Doctrine of the Mean''. He is honorifically called <strong>Zisizi</strong> .<br />
<br />
Where his grandfather began to distinguish between true and supposed knowledge, Zisi proceeded upon meditations on the relativity in human knowledge of the universe. He attempted to analyze as many types of action as possible, and believed that wise people, who are conscious of their moral and intellectual duties, can copy the reality of the universe into themselves.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-9853755089308075292008-09-22T05:50:00.003-07:002008-09-22T05:50:31.846-07:00Zi Chan<strong>Zi Chan</strong> , also know as <strong>Gongsun Qiao</strong> , was the most outstanding statesman of the in ancient China during the Spring and Autumn Period. Born in Zheng to an aristocratic family, Zi Chan was a statesman of Zheng from 544 BC until his death. Under Zi Chan, Zheng even managed to expand its territory, a difficult task for a small state surrounded by several large states. As a philosopher, Zi Chan separated the domains of heaven and the human world, arguing against superstition and believing that humans should be grounded in reality.<br />
<br />
Zi Chan became the prime minister of Zheng and was responsible for many reforms that strengthened the state of Zheng. A , Zi Chan was heavily involved in all aspects of the state, reforming agricultural and commercial laws, setting the borders, centralizing the state, ensuring the hiring of capable ministers, and changing social norms. Zi Chan once prevented other ministers from executing a man for criticizing the government, arguing that it was in the best interests of the state to listen to the opinions of the common people.<br />
<br />
Zi Chan reformed the government to emphasize the rule of law. In 543 BC, he had the state's code of law cast in bronze , a first among the states. He also enacted harsh punishments for criminals. Because of his focus on laws, historians often classify him as a .<br />
<br />
Zi Chan was also highly skilled in state-to-state politics. When tried to interfere in Zheng's internal affairs after the death of a Zheng minister, Zi Chan was well aware of the danger, arguing that if Jin was allowed to determine the successor of the deceased minister in the state of Zheng, Zheng would then have lost its sovereignty to Jin. He then proceeded to convince Jin not to interfere in Zheng's internal politics.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-52295300761209099292008-09-22T05:50:00.001-07:002008-09-22T05:50:19.049-07:00Zhu Xueqin<strong>Zhu Xueqin</strong> is a Shanghai-based historian and public intellectual. He is a major exponent of contemporary Chinese liberalism. <br />
<a name='Background' id='Background'></a><h2>Background</h2><br />
Born in Shanghai, Zhu was, like so many others, shaped in his eventual outlook by China's Cultural Revolution, when he was sent to rural Lankao County, Henan as a "sent-down youth" in 1970. In 1972 he was transferred to factory work.<br />
<br />
Taking an degree in history in 1985 from Shaanxi Normal University, from 1985 to 1991 he taught in the Air Force Politics Institute. In 1992 he graduated from Fudan University with a doctorate in history. From 1991 he has since been a Professor in the Department of History, Academy of Letters, Shanghai University.<br />
<br />
An article entitled "1998: The Discourse of Liberalism," which spoke of a "resurfacing" of liberal thought, struck a particularly resonance, as it appeared in the widely circulated ''Nanfang Zhoumo'' .<br />
<br />
Zhu Xueqin was among the those who found works of the brilliant but isolated and tragically persecuted social theorist Gu Zhun particularly inspiring when rediscovered in the mid 1990s. <br />
<br />
He has participated in many public activities, such as campaigns, in support of human rights, freedom of speech, and political reform.<br />
<br />
An interview with him entitled "For a Chinese Liberalism" is published in the book One China, Many Paths.<br />
<br />
<a name='Works' id='Works'></a><h2>Works</h2><br />
*''Daode lixiang guo de fumie'' Shanghai: Sanlian, 2004<br />
*''Zhongguoyu ouzhou wenhua jiaoliu zhi'' <br />
*''Shuzhaili de geming''uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-1234964661283429592008-09-22T05:49:00.008-07:002008-09-22T05:50:07.312-07:00Zhu Xi<strong>Zhu Xi</strong> or <strong>Chu Hsi</strong> was a Song Dynasty scholar who became the leading figure of the School of Principle and the most influential rationalist in China. His contribution to Chinese philosophy included his assigning special significance to the ''Analects of Confucius,'' the ''Mencius,'' the ''Great Learning,'' and the ''Doctrine of the Mean'' , his emphasis on the investigation of things , and the synthesis of all fundamental Confucian concepts. <br />
<a name='Life' id='Life'></a><h2>Life</h2><br />
<br />
<br />
Zhu Xi, whose family originated in Wu-yuan County of Hui Prefecture , was born in Fujian, where his father worked as the subprefectural sheriff. After his father was forced from office due to his opposition to the government appeasement policy towards the Jurchen in 1140, Zhu Xi received instruction from his father at home. Upon his father's death in 1143, he studied with his father's friends Hu Xian, Liu Zihui, and Liu Mianzhi. In 1148, at the age of 19, Zhu Xi passed the Imperial Examination and became a presented scholar. Zhu Xi's first official dispatch position was as Subprefectural Registrar of Tong'an , which he served from 1153 - 1156. From 1153 he began to study under Li Tong, who followed the Neo-Confucian tradition of Cheng Hao and , and formally became his student in 1160. In 1179, after not serving in an official capacity since 1156, Zhu Xi was appointed Prefect of Nankang Military District , where he revived White Deer Hollow Academy . and got demoted 3 years later for attacking the incompetency of some officials. There were several instances of receiving an appointment and subsequently being demoted. Even though his teachings had been severely attacked by establishment figures, almost a thousand people attended his funeral. In 1241 his tablet was placed in the Confucian Temple.<br />
<br />
<a name='Teachings' id='Teachings'></a><h2>Teachings</h2><br />
<h3>The Four Books</h3><br />
During the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi's teachings were considered to be . Rather than focusing on the ''Book of Changes'' like other Neo-Confucians, he chose to emphasize the Four Books: the ''Great Learning'', the ''Doctrine of the Mean'', the ''Analects of Confucius'', and the ''Mencius'' as the core curriculum for aspiring scholar officials. For all these classics he wrote extensive commentaries that were not widely recognized in his time; however, they later became accepted as their standard commentaries. The Four Books served as the basis of civil service examinations all the way down to 1905.<br />
<br />
<h3>Vital force , principle , and the Great Ultimate </h3><br />
Zhu Xi maintained that all things are brought into being by the union two universal aspects of reality: ''qi'', sometimes translated as vital force; and ''li'', sometimes translated as rational principle . The source and sum of ''li'' is the ''Taiji'' , meaning the Great Ultimate. The source of ''qi'' is not so clearly stated by Zhu Xi, leading some authorities to maintain that he was a and others to maintain that he was a .<br />
<br />
According to Zhu Xi's theory, every physical object and every person has its ''li'' and therefore has contact in its metaphysical core with the ''Taiji''. What is referred to as the human soul, mind, or spirit is understood as the ''Taiji'', or the supreme regulative principle, as it works its way out in a person.<br />
<br />
''Qi'' and ''li'' operate together in mutual dependence. They are mutually aspective in all creatures in the universe. These two aspects are manifested in the creation of substantial entities. When their activity is waxing , that is the yang energy mode. When their activity is waning , that is the yin energy mode. The yang and yin phases constantly interact, each gaining and losing dominance over the other. In the process of the waxing and waning, the alternation of these fundamental vibrations, the so called five elements evolve. <br />
<br />
In terms of ''li'' and ''qi'', Zhu Xi's system strongly resembles Buddhist ideas of li and shi , though Zhu Xi and his followers strongly argued that they were not copying Buddhist ideas. Instead, they held, they were using concepts already present long before in the ''Book of Changes.''<br />
<br />
Zhu Xi discussed how he saw the Great Ultimate concept to be compatible with principle of Taoism, but his concept of ''Taiji'' was different from the understanding of ''Tao'' in Daoism. Where ''Taiji'' is a differentiating principle that results in the emergence of something new, Dao is still and silent, operating to reduce all things to equality and indistinguishability. He argued that there is a central harmony that is not static or empty but was dynamic, and that the Great Ultimate is itself in constant creative activity.<br />
<br />
<h3>Human nature</h3><br />
Zhu Xi considered the earlier Confucian Xun Zi to be a heretic for departing from Mencius' idea of innate human goodness. Even if people displayed immoral behaviour, the supreme regulative principle was good. The cause of immoral actions is qi. Zhu Xi's metaphysics is that everything contains ''li'' and ''qi''. Li is the principle that is in everything and governs the universe. Each person has a perfect ''li''. As such, individuals should act perfectly moral. However, while li is the underlying structure, ''qi'' is also part of everything. ''Qi'' obscures our perfect moral nature. The task of moral cultivation is to clear our qi. If our ''qi'' is clear and balanced, then we will act in a perfectly moral way.<br />
<br />
<h3>Heart/Mind</h3><br />
<br />
<h3>Knowledge and action</h3><br />
According to Zhu Xi's epistemology, knowledge and action were indivisible components of truly intelligent activity. Although he did distinguish between the priority of knowing, since intelligent action requires forethought, and the importance of action, as it produces a discernible effect, Chu Hsi said "Knowledge and action always require each other. It is like a person who cannot walk without legs although he has eyes, and who cannot see without eyes although he has legs. With respect to order, knowledge comes first, and with respect to importance, action is more important." <br />
<br />
<h3>The investigation of things and the extension of knowledge</h3><br />
Zhu Xi advocated ''gewu'', the investigation of the things. How to investigate and what these things are is the source of much debate. To Zhu Xi, the things are moral principles and the investigation involves paying attention to everything in both books and affairs because "moral principles are quite inexhaustible".<br />
<br />
<h3>Religion</h3><br />
Zhu Xi did not hold to traditional ideas of God or Heaven , though he discussed how his own ideas mirrored the traditional concepts. He encouraged an agnostic tendency within Confucianism, because he believed that the Great Ultimate was a rational principle, and he discussed it as an intelligent and ordering will behind the universe. He did not promote the worship of spirits and offerings to images. Although he practiced some forms of ancestor worship, he disagreed that the souls of ancestors existed, believing instead that ancestor worship is a form of remembrance and gratitude.<br />
<br />
<h3>Meditation</h3><br />
Zhu Xi practiced a form of daily meditation similar to, but not the same as, Buddhist dhyana or ''chan ding'' . His meditation did not require the cessation of all thinking as in Buddhism; rather, it was characterised by quiet introspection that helped to balance various aspects of one's personality and allowed for focused thought and concentration.<br />
<br />
His form of meditation was by nature Confucian in the sense that it was concerned with morality. His meditation attempted to reason and feel in harmony with the universe. He believed that this type of meditation brought humanity closer together and more into harmony.<br />
<br />
<h3>On teaching, learning, and the creation of an academy</h3><br />
Zhu Xi heavily focused his energy on teaching, claiming that learning is the only way to sagehood. He wished to make the pursuit of sagehood attainable to all men.<br />
<br />
He lamented more modern printing techniques and the proliferation of books that ensued. This, he believed, made students less appreciative and focused on books, simply because there were more books to read than before. Therefore, he attempted to redefine how students should learn and read. In fact, disappointed by local schools in China, he established his own academy, White Deer Hollow Academy, to instruct students properly and in the proper fashion.<br />
<br />
<a name='Taoist and Buddhist influence on Zhu Xi' id='Taoist and Buddhist influence on Zhu Xi'></a><h2>Taoist and Buddhist influence on Zhu Xi</h2><br />
Zhu Xi wrote what was to became the orthodox Confucian interpretation of a number of concepts in Taoism and Buddhism. While he appeared to have adopted some ideas from these competing systems of thought, unlike previous Neo-Confucians he strictly abided by the Confucian doctrine of active moral cultivation. He found Buddhist principles to be darkening and deluding the original mind as well as destroying human relations.<br />
<br />
<a name='Zhu Xi's influence' id='Zhu Xi's influence'></a><h2>Zhu Xi's influence</h2><br />
From 1313 to 1905, Zhu Xi's commentaries on the Four Books formed the basis of civil service examinations in China. His teachings were to dominate Neo-Confucians such as Wang Fuzhi, though dissenters would later emerge such as Wang Yangming and the School of Mind two and a half centuries later.<br />
<br />
His philosophy survived the Intellectual Revolution of 1917, and later Feng Youlan would interpret his conception of ''li'', ''qi'', and ''taiji'' into a new metaphysical theory.<br />
<br />
He was also influential in Japan known as Shushigaku , and in Korea known as Jujahak , where it became an orthodoxy.<br />
<br />
<a name='Achievements of Zhu Xi in the art of calligraphy' id='Achievements of Zhu Xi in the art of calligraphy'></a><h2>Achievements of Zhu Xi in the art of calligraphy</h2><br />
This renowned neo-Confucianist, educator and thinker from Southern Sung dynasty had, from an early age, followed his father and a number of great calligraphers at the time in practicing this art. At first he learned the style of Cao Cao, but later specialized in the regular script of Zhong Yao and the running cursive script of Yan Zhenqing. As he never ceased practicing, he reached a superb level in the art characterized by overpowering strength. Since then, though his manuscripts left to the world are piecemeal and incomplete, they have been regarded as invaluable for collection. While he bequeathed to posterity quite a bit of calligraphy which has been highly acclaimed in history, it is regrettable that most of is has been lost. Moreover, since the Yuan dynasty, his school of philosophy has been adopted as the official ideology of China. His philosophy not only profoundly affected traditional Chinese thinking and culture, but also spread outside China with tremendous influence. He has been hailed as one of the ten key philosophers of the Confucian School. His fame in the realm of philosophy was so great that even his brilliance in calligraphy was overshadowed. He was skillful in both running and cursive scripts, and more especially in large characters. His extant artworks consist mainly of short written notes in running script and rarely of large characters. His authentic manuscripts are collected by Nanjing Museum, Beijing Palace Museum, Liao Ning Province Museum, China; Taipei Palace Museum and the National Museum of Tokyo, Japan. Some pieces are in private collections in China and overseas. The 《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》, one of Zhu Xi's masterpieces in running-cursive script, is in an overseas private collection. <br />
<br />
<br />
《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》 contains three separate parts:<br />
<br />
1) Title<br />
<br />
2) 102 characters by Zhu Xi in running cursive scripts<br />
<br />
3) The postscripts by Wen Tianxiang of Sung dynasty, Fang Xiaoru , Zhu Yunming , Tang Yin and Hai Rui of the Ming dynasty. <br />
<br />
<h3>Calligraphy Style</h3><br />
The calligraphy of Zhu Xi had been acclaimed as acquiring the style of the Han and Wei dynasties . He was Skillful in the central tip, and his brush strokes are smooth and round, steady yet flowing in the movements without any trace of frivolity and abruptness . Indeed, his calligraphy possesses stability and elegance in construction with a continuous flow of energy. Without trying to be pretentious or intentional, his written characters are well-balanced, natural and unconventional. As he was a patriarch of Confucianism philosophy, it is understandable that his learning permeated in all his writings with due respect for traditional standards. He maintained that while rules had to be observed for each word, there should be room for tolerance, multiplicity and naturalness. In other words, calligraphy had to observe rules and at the same time not bound by them so as to express the quality of naturalness. Its small wonder that his calligraphy had been highly esteemed throughout the centuries, by great personages as follows:<br />
<br />
Tao Chung Yi of Ming dynasty: <br />
<br />
Whilst Master Zhu inherited the orthodox teaching and propagated it to the realm of sages and yet he was also proficient in running and cursive scripts, especially in large characters. His execution of brush was well-poised and elegant. However piecemeal or isolated his manuscripts, they were eagerly sought after and treasured. <br />
<br />
Wang Sai Ching of Ming dynasty: <br />
<br />
The brush strokes in his calligraphy were swift without attempting at formality, yet none of his strokes and dots were not in conformity with the rules of calligraphy.<br />
<br />
Wen Tianxiang of Sung dynasty in his postscript for the 《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》 by Zhu Xi:<br />
<br />
People in the olden days said that there was embedded the bones of loyal subject in the calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing. Observing the execution of brush strokes by Zhu Xi, I am indeed convinced of the truth of this opinion. <br />
<br />
Zhu Yunming of Ming dynasty in his postscript for the 《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》 by Zhu Xi:<br />
<br />
Master Zhu was loyal, learned and a great scholar through out ages . He was superb in calligraphy although he did not write much in his lifetime and hence they were rarely seen in later ages. This roll had been collected by Wong Sze Ma for a long time and of late, it appeared in the world. I chanced to see it once and whilst I regretted that I did not try to study it extensively until now, in the study room of my friend, I was so lucky to see it again. This showed that I am destined to see the manuscripts of master Zhu. I therefore wrote this preface for my intention.<br />
<br />
Hai Rui of Ming dynasty in n his postscript for the 《Thatched Hut Hand Scroll》 by Zhu Xi:<br />
<br />
The writings are enticing, delicate, elegant and outstanding. Truly such calligraphy piece is the wonder of nature.<br />
<br />
<a name='Trivia' id='Trivia'></a><h2>Trivia</h2><br />
*'''' magazine ranked Zhu Xi as the forty-fifth most important person in the last millennium.<br />
<br />
<a name='Footnotes and references' id='Footnotes and references'></a><h2>Footnotes and references</h2><br />
<br />
*Chan, Wing-tsit . ''A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy''. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1963.<br />
*Zhu Xi "Learning To Be a Sage: Selections From the Conversations of Master Chu, Arrainged Topically". Berkeley, University of California Press, 1990.<br />
<br />
<a name='Further reading' id='Further reading'></a><h2>Further reading</h2><br />
*J. Percy Bruce. ''Chu Hsi and His Masters'', Probsthain & Co., London, 1922.<br />
*Daniel K. Gardner. ''Learning To Be a sage'', University of California Press, Berkeley, 1990.<br />
*Bruce E. Carpenter. 'Chu Hsi and the Art of Reading' in ''Tezukayama University Review'' , Nara, Japan, no. 15, 1977, pp. 13-18. ISSN 0385-7743<br />
*Wing-tsit Chan, ''Chu Hsi: Life and Thought'' <br />
*Wing-tsit Chan, ''Chu Hsi: New Studies'' <br />
*Hoyt Cleveland Tillman, ''Utilitarian Confucianism: Ch‘en Liang's Challenge to Chu Hsi'' <br />
*Wm. Theodore de Bary, ''Neo-Confucian Orthodoxy and the Learning of the Mind-and-Heart'' , on the development of Zhu Xi's thought after his death<br />
*Wing-tsit Chan , ''Chu Hsi and Neo-Confucianism'' , a set of conference papers<br />
*Donald J. Munro, ''Images of Human Nature: A Sung Portrait'' , an analysis of the concept of human nature in Zhu Xi's thought<br />
<br />
<h3>Translations</h3><br />
*Chan, Wing-tsit. ''Reflections On Things at Hand'', New York, 1967.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-23944106757272083892008-09-22T05:49:00.007-07:002008-09-22T05:49:49.899-07:00Zhou Guoping<strong>Zhou Guoping</strong> is a philosopher and scholar of philosophy.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-28477513348411655092008-09-22T05:49:00.005-07:002008-09-22T05:49:39.139-07:00Zhou Dunyi<strong>Zhou Dunyi</strong> , born <strong>Zhou Dunshi</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Maoshu</strong> , was a Neo-Confucian philosopher and cosmologist born in present-day during the Song Dynasty. He conceptualized the Neo-Confucian cosmology of the day, explaining the relationship between human conduct and universal forces. In this way, he emphasizes that humans can master their ''qi'' in order to accord with nature.<br />
<br />
<a name='Writings' id='Writings'></a><h2>Writings</h2><br />
*''Taiji Tushuo'' <br />
*''Tong Shu''uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-7700017797072920022008-09-22T05:49:00.003-07:002008-09-22T05:49:31.181-07:00Zhi Dun<strong>Zhi Dun</strong> was a Buddhist monk and philosopher.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-51417527209560243022008-09-22T05:49:00.001-07:002008-09-22T05:49:23.035-07:00Zheng Xuan<strong>Zheng Xuan</strong> , courtesy name <strong>Kangcheng</strong> , was an influential commentator and Confucian scholar of the Han Dynasty. He was born in modern , and a student of Ma Rong.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-15377935673999032072008-09-22T05:48:00.000-07:002008-09-22T05:49:11.455-07:00Zhang Zai<strong>Zhang Zai</strong> was a Neo-Confucian philosopher and .uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-6418860898298031842008-09-22T05:47:00.009-07:002008-09-22T05:47:56.971-07:00Zhang Dongsun<strong>Zhang Dongsun</strong> , was a philosopher, public intellectual and political figure. <br />
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<a name='Biography' id='Biography'></a><h2>Biography</h2><br />
Travelling to Japan as an overseas student in his youth, Zhang studied the epistemology and ethics of Immanuel Kant, and attempted to reinterpret Confucianism along Kantian lines. He took part in famous debates about the relative merits of "science and metaphysics," allying himself with the then fashionable metaphysics of Henri Bergson. He was equally well-known, however, as an exponent of the philosophy of Bertrand Russell, whom he accompanied on a tour of China in 1920.<br />
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A prominent exponent of Chinese liberalism, he became a powerful influence in the China Democratic League in its original incarnation as a non-Communist "third force" grouping opposed to the dictatorship of the Guomindang under Jiang Jieshi .<br />
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Zhang veered towards acceptance of the inevitability of Communist victory and took government positions after the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. However his earlier passionate devotion to intellectual freedom and searching critiques of Marxism made him an object of suspicion, obliging him to live in obscurity and in constant fear of persecution.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654217894579503848.post-13904859157616901102008-09-22T05:47:00.007-07:002008-09-22T05:47:47.150-07:00Zhan Ruoshui<strong>Zhan Ruoshui</strong> , was a Chinese philosopher, educator, and a Confucian scholar.<br />
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Zhan was born in . He was appointed the president of Nanjing Taixue in 1524. He was later appointed the Minister of Department of Li , Minister of Governmental Personnel , and then Minister of Military Affairs for War at Nanjing of Ming Dynasty. <br />
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As a scholar, Zhan is famous for mind theory. He was also a famous educator. In his life he founded and jointly founded more than 40 Shuyuan .<br />
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Zhan was a lifelong friend of the philosopher, general, and administrator Wang Yangming. He shared an appreciation of Lu Xiangshan idealism , Daoism, and Buddhism with Wang, although their intellectual paths ultimately diverged.uedodramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17664673757624998014noreply@blogger.com0